Company News
Northern Lift Trucks is Raising The Hire Industry to New Heights of Success
For 40 years – a momentous milestone marked this year – Northern Lift Trucks (NLT) have cultivated a legacy characterised by excellence, quality, and a steadfast commitment to their customer base. The company provide state-of-the-art equipment solutions to the agricultural, construction, industrial, waste and hire sectors, offering a diverse range of machinery, including telescopic handlers, excavators, loaders, skid steers, forklift trucks, warehousing solutions, and access platforms.
Building on their esteemed reputation is NLT’s ongoing relationship with industry leader, Manitou. From the beginning, Manitou has developed state-of-the-art machinery, in which its range today is grouped into the categories of handling equipment, and aerial work platforms. All of its ranges are guaranteed to deliver unprecedented performances, perfect manoeuvrability, ease of use, adaptability, resistance, safety, and much more.
Together, NLT and Manitou are perfectly matched to ensure that companies have access to high-quality, durable, versatile machinery suitable for various projects, applications and industries.
Driving A Customer Centric Culture
Long credited as a popular supplier for the hire industry, NLT fuse their extensive range of reliable, innovative equipment with exceptional customer service. Their dedicated team are always available to provide expert guidance and superior, responsive service, working closely with customers to ensure they receive the right equipment and support whenever needed. The team
believe that fostering trust and consistent, hassle-free service is key to mutual success, guaranteeing that their customers can depend on them for ongoing operational requirements and optimal efficiency.
A Long-Standing Partnership with CP Hire
One of NLT’s successful partnerships is their long-time collaboration with CP Hire. Established in 1971 by Norman Hutchinson, the company originally traded as Coleraine Plant Hire, and over the years have grown to operate seven depots across Northern Ireland. Throughout this journey, CP Hire have frequently turned to NLT to fulfil their equipment needs. Andrew Hutchinson, CP Hire, Managing Director reflects,
“Our relationship with NLT goes back around 40 years – it’s one of our longest-standing supplier partnerships. It began through our knowledge of the
Manitou brand. We recognised the quality and innovation in their machines early on, and NLT has been one of our go-to suppliers ever since. Manitou equipment is robust, reliable, and designed with both operators and hire businesses in mind.With a two-year warranty and solid build quality, it offers great value across the board.”
Andrew points to the confidence and competence instilled through Manitou’s machines.
“The Manitou range covers everything from telehandlers to forklifts and access platforms. It’s broad, reliable, and very well-suited to the hire industry. With maintenance costs and downtime representing core concerns across the hire industry, Manitou’s build quality and engineering reduce the likelihood of issues, which lowers
our maintenance costs and keeps machines on hire longer.That reliability means we can offer better uptime for our customers – which is essential in the hire business.”
Needless to say, Andrew can speak volumes about the value which NLT bring as a partner in the hire industry, particularly noting the broad range of machinery available for construction, including telehandlers, forklifts, boom lifts etc.; the consistent quality of the Manitou product; and, importantly, the dependable after-sales service.
“NLT always has machines available when we need them, and their support keeps our operations running smoothly.
NLT provides excellent support from the first enquiry right through to delivery and after-sales care. Communication is clear and consistent, and they’re always easy to deal with. They understand our market well and are proactive in forward planning. That makes a big difference – especially when demand fluctuates or project timelines are tight.
The quality of the Manitou machines is key, but so is the strong relationship with the NLT team. They understand what we need and deliver every time.“
Access Made Easy
CP Hire’s latest order from NLT was for 50 machines – including forklifts, telehandlers, boom lifts, and scissor lifts:
”a significant investment, and we trust NLT to supply and support those machines with the same level of service we’ve come to expect,”
Among the machines was the Man’go 12 – which has already solidified its standing as an access asset to CP Hire, as well as its customers’ operations. A machine for which Andrew was full of praise:
“The Man’go 12 combines all-terrain capability with compact dimensions. It’s used across a range of sectors for indoor and outdoor work. Its compact size and lighter footprint make it ideal for tight spaces and sensitive surfaces — perfect for jobs where access is tricky.”
Having also taken delivery of the 160 ATJ+, Andrew and his customers alike have been impressed by the versatility generated through the specifications:
“The larger capacity basket – rated to 400kg — allows three people to work safely at height, rather than just two. That extra capacity gives our customers more flexibility and efficiency on site.
Customers regularly request the ATJ range by name due to the four-wheel steer, 360° rotation, and proportional controls make it easy and efficient to use. It’s become the operator’s choice.”
Joint Success with Kellys Point Hire
NLT’s collaboration with Kellys Point Hire is another example of the company’s proven track-record of sustaining industry relationships. Based in Warrenpoint, Kellys Point Hire possess one of the largest hire fleets in Ireland – and for over 25 years, NLT have aided its advancement. Gary Kelly, Director at Kellys Point Hire reflects on the journey so far:
“It all started back in 1999 when our father, Leonard, purchased five MT1232 telehandlers from Eugene McComiskey at NLT. That initial purchase laid the foundation for what has become a trusted and successful relationship. In September 2023, Eugene retired and handed things over to Richard Sloan.
The transition was smooth and professional, thanks to NLT’s solid team and business continuity. While Richard has stepped in seamlessly, it’s the consistent quality and reliability of NLT as a whole that keeps us coming back.“
The evolution of the relationship has been on an upward trajectory since.
“Over the years, we’ve consistently added a wide range of equipment to our fleet through NLT – including Manitou MT models, MRT rotating telehandlers, Manitou
access platforms, boom lifts, and Hyundai excavators. It’s been a mutually beneficial partnership built on trust and shared values.”
As for the drivers behind the company’s eagerness to continuously seek NLT’s equipment for their needs, Gary echoes Andrew’s sentiment that the team’s service is simply incomparable.
“Whether we’re making a first enquiry or arranging delivery, NLT makes the whole process seamless. The service really is first-class and their after-sales support is second to none. Of course, the machines themselves are extremely reliable, but on the odd occasion that an issue does come up, NLT are quick to respond and resolve it.
Minimising downtime is crucial in our business – customers depend on us to deliver reliable, ready-to-work equipment every time, for the whole duration of their project.”
Ahead of The Game
Gary explains that Kellys Point Hire’s decision to attain Manitou machinery can be attributed to the brand’s impactful blend of both innovation and reliability.
“Manitou is constantly innovating and launching new models, which keeps us ahead of the game. Being at the forefront gives us different opportunities.
The Manitou range gives us the flexibility to offer tailored solutions for a wide variety of customer needs – whether it’s construction, maintenance, or specialised projects.
We’ve used Manitou for many years. It’s a brand that stands for quality and reliability, which reflects directly on us. Our customers know they’re getting dependable equipment when they hire from us.”
Adding to Kellys Point Hire’s Manitou lineup is their recent purchase of the SE 0808 scissor lift. Speaking on how the model’s specifications has enhanced its hire offering to customers, Gary said:
“It’s a brand-new model, and we were impressed with its sturdy, robust design and overall build quality – which we’ve come to expect from Manitou.
These were the first two SE 0808 machines delivered from a larger upcoming order. The SE 0808 has a strong, compact design, ideal for indoor use. It features side and rear forklift pockets, allowing it to be lifted from both the side and rear, making for easy transportation – a small detail that makes a big difference in terms of site efficiency.
Feedback has been very positive. Customers are more than pleased with how smoothly the SE 0808 operates – it’s easy to use, reliable, and built to a high standard.”
As is expected from Manitou, safety and efficiency have been forefront considerations of the SE 0808.
“It has a one-piece door that makes operator access much easier and safer. That, combined with its compact footprint, makes it ideal for painters, electricians, signwriters, internal fit-outs, and renovations.
Equipment quality and safety are absolutely critical in this business. We need to know we can trust our machines – and our suppliers. NLT gives us that confidence.
They’re a dealer we can rely on to stand behind their products and support us when needed.”
Keeping The Momentum Going
With 40 years of experience behind NLT, they are very much looking forward to the next 40 ahead, supplying a wide range of customers, old and new – including CP Hire, as Andrew confirmed:
“After 40 years working with NLT, we’re looking forward to continuing the relationship for many more.”
The Kellys Point Hire team is similarly committed to ongoing co-operation with NLT, explained Gary:
“We’ve worked with NLT for 27 years now, and we’re looking forward to many more. Their support, reliability, and knowledge are an essential part of our ongoing success.”
Reflecting on the company’s continued progress, Richard Sloan, Sales Director at NLT, commented:
“We’re very pleased with our ever-increasing market share in the Northern Ireland access market. With Manitou’s ongoing investment and innovation across their access machinery range — particularly with the recently launched scissor lifts — our position in the market is set to go from strength to strength.
We greatly value the business of our longstanding customers – including CP Hire and Kellys Point Hire, to name just a few — and we look forward to continuing to work closely with them in the years ahead.”
